'O' is for OILBIRD!!!!

Wow, another great day here at Asa Wright.  Didn't go off the property today, but had early morning coffee on the verandah, and then after breakfast went down to the oilbird cave.  Bit of a hike with 50lbs of camera gear on your back, but boy was it worth it.  Would have liked some more time there, but these guys are super cautious and keen to keep the birds as undisturbed as possible (a good thing).  So no flash and just using the dull flashlight of the guide (Zac) as lighting for photography.  It was pretty quick, so shooting as fast as possible with a monopod, but think I achieved some pretty good results.  Was certainly a highlight to see this almost mythical species - a nocturnal, fruit eating, echolocating bird!

We then headed back up the hill, where I spent some time on the verandah and around the feeders, before lunch, and then after lunch more time around the feeders.  Finally managed to get a male tufted coquette, what a little stunner!  Got a passable record shot - which for what is supposedly the second smallest bird in the world ain't bad.  Spent some time walking the nature trails and picked up plain-brown woodcreeper which had until now alluded me.  Searched and search for fer de lance and beginning to think this snake is a myth. As the evening came in the rum punch was served and then a couple of short-tailed nighthawks swooped around in front of the verandah.  Very cool end to the day.  After dinner did a night walk along the driveway.  Much the same as previous nights (still no fer de lance) but did here a couple of spectacled owls, which unfortunately would not oblige and come in.  Another awesome day!

Great antshrike male

Great antshrike male again

Long-billed gnatwren, apparently a tough one to photograph

The oilbird cave at Asa Wright

Oilbirds on their nest ledge

Oilbird in flight

Oilbird in flight again

Nesting ledge, note the chick under the adult to the far left

Oilbirds on the ledge

Pair of oilbirds with a chick just visible between them

The cave

Leaf-cutter ant colony

The colony with leaves scattered everywhere

The Asa Wright verandah and view

Feeders on the verandah

Green honeycreeper and bananaquits at the feeder 

Male tufted coquette

Copper-rumped hummingbird

Crested oropendola feeding

Plain brown woodcreeper, finally

Absolutely stunning male ruby-topaz hummingbird

Green honeycreeper

Trinidad turns it on

Well what a day!  Up at 0425 to head out birding this morning with one of the guides.  Our target bird was the Trinidad piping guan, which had been seen recently up the hill a few kilometres.  It sounded like the chances were low, but that there was a good chance of other things.  Well it started pretty well with a silhouette of a flying spectacled owl (why didn't I put my headlamp in my pocket!).  We spent some time walking the roads, and had an awesome time - four species of woodpecker, black-faced ant-thrush, white-bellied antbird, sooty grassquit, merlin, swallow tanager, grey-throated leaftosser (how's that for a name!) and both guianan and collared trogon.  Phew, we had an awesome time.  Not a lot of photos, but took a few.  There was also a small thrush, that if I had to put any money on would say it was a veery!  They have been recorded a few times here, but it would be a mega...

Then back to the centre for lunch and a bit of verandah birding as it rained off and on, before heading out late this afternoon with the same guide and a couple of others.  We headed to Aripo Marshes as the rain stopped and did a bit of birding in the light, with peregrine, savannah hawk, and a lifer shorebird - solitary sandpiper - very cool!  A few other bits and pieces then dinnner before heading out as the light faded.  As the dark came in quickly the fire-flies started to pop out over the fields - what an awesome sight.  First stop was to look for a tropical screech owl, and there he was...literally 10ft away and what a little stonker!  Pretty much full frame shots!  On the way back to the vehicle we picked up a barn owl flying past.  We then drove some roads and got great views of paraque (a nightjar), white-tailed nightjar, common potoo and TWO spectacled caiman!  Awesome.

Back up to the centre and uploading this with a single malt to celebrate, then to bed...tomorrow is a big day with a trip to the oilbird cave!

PS. some of the photos below were from yesterday and the night walk done last night

Crested oropendola nests just out from the verandah at Asa Wright, with rain and hills in the background

Harvestman underside - very cool pattern

Danielle's hand beside the tarantula

Small frog calling away

Almost looks like a weta!

The tarantula coming out of its pipe...love this shot

This morning - the sooty grassquit singing

Chestnut woodpecker

The sort of forest we were birding in

Back at Asa Wright, palm tanager in the rain

Great kiskadee in the rain

Savannah hawk perched low

Red-breasted blackbird, male (above) female (below)

Solitary sandpiper (there were two though!!??), a lifer for me

Water buffalo

Tropical screech owl, needs a little eye work from the flash, but what a cutie!

Manakin mania

A great day here at Asa Wright Nature Centre again today with mostly sunny skies and great birding.  Up early to have coffee on the verandah at 6am and nothing new but similar stuff to the afternoon before - palm and white-lined tanagers, a bunch of hummers, a white hawk (which was new), and the bearded bellbird, amongst the others.

We had breakfast and then headed out on the orientation walk with Molly, one of the local guides.  Man she has sharp eyes, not missing a thing along the way.  We had a few other things including golden-olive woodpecker, bay-headed tanager, and both golden headed and white-bearded manakins at the lek.  They were not displaying a whole lot, but managed a few photos.  Glimpsed rufous-breasted wren and good views of white-throated thrush, plain antvireo and white-flanked antwren.  We also had really good views of male bearded bellbirds calling, and managed a few half decent record shots.  Probably the highlight of the morning was a porcupine up in the tree tops, very cool!

We then headed back up and I spent some time trying to photograph leaf-cutter ants with pieces of flower petal, not sure if they are great, but oh well.  Then before and after lunch a bit more time at the manakin leks.  By this time they were going off, and the females were visiting with the males really strutting their stuff.  Very cool and managed a few good shots, so pretty happy.  Then back to the verandah area for photos of hummer,s etc.

Now its rum punch on the verandah and hoping for the rain to clear for a night walk...let's see what we can find tonight!

Trinidad motmot trying to be sneaky

Male white-lined tanager

Crested oropendola - these things sound amazing

Male white-bearded manakin at the lek

Male bearded bellbird singing with his mouth open - these things are LOUD!

Porcupine up in the tree looking down on us 

Leaf-cutter ants with bits of flower petal

More leaf-cutters, or perhaps these were flower cutters?

Two male golden-headed manakins at the lek, waiting for a girl

A bit closer

Golden tegu lizard

Female black-throated mango at flowers

Male white-necked jacobin hovering - stunning birds

Again

Green honeycreeper, creeping in the shrubbery

Crested oropendola closeup

Orchid of some sort

Male white-bearded manakin at his display site

Same

Female white-bearded manakin looking for the sexiest boy

Male white-bearded manakin....manakin mania!

Up close and personal with a bananaquit